Security apparatus

ABSTRACT

A security device for transporting monies from a cash acceptance terminal to a bank or similar safe location includes a note tube and a pair of flexible bags containing dye. Cutters operated by explosive devices when an unauthorised attempt is made to break into the note tube pass down the sides of the bags and rip them open. There is provided spring loaded pressure plates which serve to compress the bags to cause the dye to be ejected effectively into the note tube to stain all the notes therein.

This is a national stage of PCT/ZA02/00161 filed Oct. 17, 2002, whichclaims the priority of South African Application No. 2001/8498, filedOct. 17, 2001.

This invention relates to security apparatus.

The invention is concerned with apparatus for rendering bank notes unfitfor use in the event that these are stolen. The bank notes are renderedunfit for use by applying a stain to the notes rendering them invalid.However unless a very substantial percentage of the area of each side ofthe notes is not stained there may be debate among lay persons as towhether the notes have indeed been stained and this will result in themiscreant being able to dispose of the stolen notes. Various suggestionshave been made for staining such notes but where the notes are containedin stacks, experience has shown that only the edges of many of the notesare stained.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided securityapparatus including a chamber incorporating a rectangular note tubewithin which a stack of bank notes can be housed, a compartment in thechamber in which a flexible container containing liquid dye can belocated and capable of being opened to discharge its contents;connection means adapted to permit the discharged contents to enter thenote tube, opening means operable in an emergency situation to open thecontainer, and pressure means, conveniently in the form of spring means,adapted to apply pressure to a container when received within thecompartment so that when the container is opened, it, the container,will be caused to discharge a substantial amount of its contents intothe chamber.

The emergency situation occurs when an action is taken that indicates anattempt to remove the apparatus from the lawful possessor or when anunauthorised attempt is made to break into the note tube.

Preferably there is a second compartment within the chamber forreceiving a second flexible container containing liquid dye, the notetube being preferably located between the compartments. By having thedye containers which are opened as aforesaid, the possibility of all thenotes in the note tube being properly stained is increased with aprobability of all the notes being so stained.

The opening means preferably comprises a cutter having sharp teeth and apart engaging in a member within compartment and means for driving thecutter along a face of the container from a rest position to an openposition to tear open an opening through which dye may escape. The meansfor driving the cutter preferably comprises a cylinder containingexplosive and a piston within the cylinder so that when the explosiveignites, the piston and with it the cutter will be forced down the faceof the container from the rest position to the open position. The cutteris preferably formed on a member incorporating a plate parallel to thecutter and preferably on one side of the note tube. The said side of thenote tube is preferably provided with an opening which serves as theconnection means, the said plate serving to close the opening when inthe rest position and not to obscure the opening when moved therefrom sothat the dye can escape from the container into the note tube.

The openings are preferably at different heights along the note tube.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided thecombination of apparatus as set forth above with a flexible containercontaining dye located within the or each compartment.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided thecombination of apparatus as set forth above with a flexible containercontaining liquid dye, which container is received within thecompartment and is subject to pressure from the spring means. The volumeof dye within the container is preferably such that when there is astack of bank notes in the tube, the height of the liquid in the chamberwill be the same as the height of the stack. The dye preferably is onehaving a viscosity of about one.

The opening means preferably comprise a sharp member which can piercethe container and can be drawn down the face of the container so that asubstantial opening is formed in the container to enable the dye to beeasily expelled therefrom.

The upper end of the note tube is preferably provided with door meanswhich can be armed when in the closed position. Should any attempt bemade to force the door means from the closed position this willconstitute an emergency situation. The chamber may conveniently comprisewall means that wholly surround the note tube and further have detectormeans incorporated therein which when an attempt is made to breakthrough the chamber will detect an emergency situation. The apparatuspreferably comprises a passive circuit which is energised when anemergency situation applies.

The door means preferably comprises a pair of doors which are hingedlymovable from a horizontal closed position where their free ends are inclose proximity and a vertical opened position. The means for openingthe doors comprise push rods movable by a motor to lift and lower thedoors. These push rods are preferably connected to wheels, preferablygear wheels, rotated by the motor so as to move the push rodsappropriately. The motor is provided with electric connections extendingto the outside of the apparatus whereby power can be provided the motorfrom a source located outside the apparatus.

The apparatus can with advantage be used with a mobile cash acceptanceterminal such as described in South African Patent Specification No94/4849 and will be filled with monies therefrom. The apparatus can beremoved from the terminal to convey its contents to a safe location,such as a bank strong room, where the monies can be removed. As a safetyprecaution there will be an encryption device in the box and there willbe a suitable opening device which cooperates therewith to enable thebox to be opened without an emergency situation arising.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mobile cash acceptance terminal,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cash acceptance terminal box,

FIG. 3 is a plan of the cash acceptance terminal box,

FIG. 4 is a front view of the cash acceptance terminal box with theoutside box shown in chain lines,

FIG. 5 is a side view of the note tube,

FIG. 6 a view from the opposite side of the note tube,

FIG. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a detail of a channel member formingpart of the note tube,

FIG. 9 is a vertical section of the said detail,

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a plate with serrated teeth, and

FIG. 11 is a detail of the door showing various connectors and a clothguide.

THE MOBILE CASH ACCEPTANCE TERMINAL

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown a mobile cash acceptance terminal100 which is mounted on wheels 102 and which can be moved to anyappropriate position for reception of monies. The terminal 100 has aninlet portion 104 leading to a note scanner (not shown) which isconnected to a reject opening 106 in a wall of the terminal and to anintermediate note receptor 108. There is an outside door 110 in the saidwall which is openable as will be described so that the contents of thereceptor can be removed. Below the intermediate note receptor 108 is acontainer 112 within which is removably received a cash acceptanceterminal box 200 (hereinafter called a CAT box).

The receptor has a note receiving section the base of which is adelivery opening formed with a pair of trap doors 113. The CAT box 200has an inlet controlled by a pair of rotary doors 300 (to be describedbelow) which are located directly below the delivery opening.

The terminal 100 comprises suitable electronic devices to operate aswill be described. The electronic devices include a display unit 118 anda counter. Notes which are intended to be received within the terminalare fed into the inlet portion 104. The notes are scanned in the scannerwhich will detect whether the notes are correct and will note theirvalue. Any faulty notes are rejected through the opening 106. Theremaining notes are delivered to the note receiving section of thereceptor where they are received in the form of a stack. The amount ofthe notes will appear on the display unit 118. Should the user not besatisfied he will press a button and the door 110 can now be opened andthe contents of the intermediate note receptor can be removed. Howeverif the user is satisfied that this correct, he will press an acceptbutton and the stack of notes will be transferred to the CAT box 200 aswill be described below. The electronic device will register the amountof money so delivered.

The CAT Box 200

The CAT box 200 comprises an elongated, rectangular section, steel,outside box part 204 defining a chamber 206. Internally the box 204 hasa thin wire helix 208 wound around its sides 210 and its base 212 and isembedded in the composite plastic whereof the outside box is moulded.The upper end 216 of the box part 204 has an upstanding rim 218 ofslightly smaller dimensions.

Within the chamber 206 is received a rectangular note tube 220 which isof slightly greater cross-section than the area of the largest note itis intended to receive. The note tube 220 formed from two vertical steelchannel members 222 and 224, the lower ends of which are received withina base part 226 having an upstanding peripheral rim 228. Each channelmember has a pair of arms 230 joined by a web 232. Internal lining sideplates 234 are provided at the upper end of tube 220 between the arms230 of the channel members 222 and 224. A moulded plastic mouth part 236is provided at and outside the upper end of the tube 220. There is aninlet port 238 in the mouth which is closed by the doors 300. The mouthpart 236 has a recess 240 near the periphery of its underside withinwhich the rim 218 is received.

On the sides of the box part 204 are two plate arrangements for openingthe doors 300 as will be described. The plate arrangements projectbeyond the sides of the tube 220. Between the plate arrangements on oneside of the note tube 220 there is provided a passive emergencyactivator 244 incorporating a printed circuit board. A rotary motor 304is mounted on a bracket 248 connected to the underside of the mouth part236. A light emitter and detector 250 is located beside the motoradjacent a small opening 252 in the web 230 of the channel member 222 afew millimetres from the top of the box part 204. There is a similarsmall opening 254 in the web of the other channel member 224 and a lightdetector 256 close thereto. This serves as an upper level detector. Asimilar level detector 257 is provided at the lower ends of the platearrangements 242.

The level detectors serve to send messages to the terminal control tolimit the amount of notes that are delivered to the CAT box 200. Thelower level detector will send a signal that only a small number (to bedetermined) of notes may be delivered to the CAT box 200. The upperlevel detector 250 sends a signal that the CAT box can receive no morenotes.

A rectangular opening 258 is provided in the web 232 of the channelmember 224 reasonably near to the mouth part. A similar opening 260 isprovided in the web of the other channel member 222 about halfway downthe length of the tube 220. A movable closure plate 262 is provided foreach opening. A guide plate 263 spot welded to the web 232 slidablyreceives the plate 262 to guide it on its downward movement. The plate262 is movable in the manner to be described from a rest position inwhich it obturates the associated opening 258 and 260 and an openposition in which it does not obscure the opening. Above each opening isa vertically disposed, electronically operable explosive device 264which is connected to the closure plate 262 by a pin 265.

A transverse plastic bar 266 is secured to the web of the channel member224. A second bar 267 is secured to the bar 266 to clamp the upper edgeof the bag or container 284 (to be described below) to the side of thetube 220. A channel shaped cover 268 overlies the bar 226 and has arms270 extending under the plate arrangements 242. The outer edges of thesearms are bent inwardly to provide locating rims 272.

Outside channel members 274 and 276 are slidable on the outsides of thechannel members 222 and 224. The web 278 of the outside member 276extends to the top of the tube 220 and its edges fit under the rims 272.The outside member 274 extends to about midway of the tube and above theopening 260. The webs of the two outside members 274 and 276 are spacedfrom the webs of the channel members 222 and 224 to form dyecompartments 280 within which flexible bags or containers 282 and 284are contained. These containers 282 and 284 are held in position bydouble sided adhesive tape 286 holding them to the webs of the members222 and 224. The upper edge of the bag 284 is clamped as aforesaid. Theupper edge of the container 282 is similarly clamped.

The arms 286 of the outside members 274 and 276 have projecting lugs 288close to the webs 290. Tension springs 291 join the lugs 288 of themembers 274 and 276 drawing them towards each other so that the webs 290of these members constitute pressure means to apply pressure to aflexible containers when received within the dye compartments 280.

The upper end of each closure plate 262 is provided with sharp serratedteeth 292. These teeth 292 are received in a recess 294 in the bar 266when the plate 262 is in the rest position. The bar 266 thus serves as ascabbard to shield and protect the adjacent container from the teeth.When the plates 262 are moved by the explosive devices 264 the teeth 292come into contact with the flexible containers to tear the containersopen. The dye is forced out of the containers by the pressure means andpasses through the openings 260, from which the plates 262 now in theiropen positions have moved, serve as connection means to permit thedischarged dye to enter the note tube 220.

The volume of dye within the containers is such that when there is astack of bank notes in the tube, the height of the liquid in the chamberwill be at least the same as the height of the stack and preferablymore. The dye preferably is one having a viscosity of close to that ofwater i.e. one.

Because the upper edge of the bag 284 is clamped as aforesaid, and alsobecause the bag 284 is held in place by the double sided tape, the bagwill not be drawn down during the movement of the cutter.

The CAT box 200 incudes electronic means (not shown) to receive a signalindicating the amount of money received in the note tube. The electronicmeans can be read by suitable equipment at the location where the CATbox is unloaded so that there is a correct and proper indication ofmonies received.

Because the note tube is of slightly greater dimension to the notes andalso because the notes are dropped by the double trap door 113, thenotes fall by gravity into the note tube and will normally settle in theform of a stack.

Batteries 294 held in holders 296 serve to power the passive emergencyactivator 244 and to actuate the explosive devices 264 when theactivator 244 detects an emergency situation.

The Doors 300

The doors 300 are pivoted to the mouth part 236 at their outer edges301. They are capable of moving from a horizontal closed position to avertical open position. When in the closed position their edges areclose together.

The plate arrangements each include an outside plate 320 spaced from thesides of the note tube 220. The outside plate carries two large meshinggear wheels 306. On one plate arrangement there are two pinions 308 and310 located slightly above and to the outer sides of the gear wheels306. The pinion 308 is mounted on the shaft of the motor 304. The otherpinion 310 is carried on one end of a cross shaft 312 which carries asimilarly positioned pinion 314 at the other plate arrangement meshingwith one of the gears 306 on this plate arrangement.

Push rods 316 are pivotally connected between each gear wheel 306 andthe adjacent edge of the nearer door 300. These push rods lie betweenthe gear wheels 302 and the side of the note tube 220. When the gearsare positioned so that the ends of the push rods 316 are low down (asshown in FIG. 5), they, the push rods 316 hold the doors 300 in theirclosed position. In this position the push rods 316 are in anover-centre position so that the door is self locking. On rotation ofthe motor 304, the pinion 308 moves the gear wheels 306 to lift thelower ends of the push rods 316 to move the doors 300 into their openposition.

The motor 304 is provided with outside studs which when the apparatus inthe terminal is connected to a power source for operating motor to openand close the doors 300.

Each door 300 carries a pair of electrically connected copper studs 318on its underside. The mouth part 236 carries a pair of conical connectorpins 320 which are engaged by the studs 318 when the doors are in theirclosed position. An attempt to force the doors open when in their closedposition and the apparatus is armed will break the circuit formed by thepins and studs to activate the passive emergency activator 244 whichwill then recognise an emergency situation and act accordingly.

In order to prevent notes inadvertently falling between the contacts 318and 0.320 which may prevent the apparatus from being armed, a length ofplasticised canvas 324 is provided between the free ends of each doorand the edge of the inlet port 238. This cloth will be stretched whenthe doors 300 are open to guide any misdirected note into the note tube220.

The invention is not limited to the precise constructional detailshereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings.

1. A security apparatus including: a chamber incorporating a rectangularnote tube within which a stack of bank notes can be housed; a firstcompartment in the chamber in which a flexible container containingliquid dye can be located and capable of being opened to discharge itscontents; a second compartment within the chamber for receiving a secondflexible container containing liquid dye; connection means between saidnote tube and at least one of said compartments adapted to permit thedischarged contents of at least one of the containers to enter the notetube; opening means operable in an emergency situation to open the atleast one container; and pressure means adapted to apply pressuremechanically to the containers when received within the compartments sothat when the containers are opened the containers will be caused todischarge a substantial amount of their contents into the note tube,wherein the pressure means comprises a pair of movable platesrespectively forming one wall of the two compartments, the plates beingbiased towards the note tube which forms another wall of eachcompartment, and two movable channel shaped members each comprising oneof the movable plates extending between two arms at right anglesthereto.
 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the note tubeis located between the compartments.
 3. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, wherein there is a second connection means to permit contentsof the second container to enter the note tube.
 4. The apparatus asclaimed in claim 3, wherein the two connection means open into the notetube at different heights.
 5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1,wherein the opening means comprises a cutter movable in a cuttingdirection from a rest position to an open position, the cutter having aset of sharp teeth extending transversely to the cutting direction, andmeans for driving the cutter along a face of at least one of thecontainers from the rest position to the open position to tear open anopening through which dye may escape.
 6. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 5, wherein the means for driving the cutter comprises a cylindercontaining explosive and a piston within the cylinder, the pistonoperatively engaging the cutter so that when the explosive ignites, thepiston and with it the cutter will be forced down the face of at leastone of the containers from the rest position to the open position. 7.The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cutter incorporates acutter plate having one edge extending transversely to the cuttingdirection, said set of sharp teeth being formed on said one edge.
 8. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cutter plate is located onone side of the note tube.
 9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8,wherein the one side of the note tube is provided with an opening whichserves as the connection means, the cutter plate serving to close theopening when in the rest position and not to obscure the opening whenmoved therefrom so that the dye can escape from at least one of thecontainers into the note tube.
 10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5,further comprising guide means to guide the cutter during movement fromthe rest position to the open position.
 11. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the pressure means incorporates spring means.
 12. Theapparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two channel shaped membersare connected together by spring means to bias them towards the notetube.
 13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chamberincorporates a woven wire mesh which will be broken if an attempt ismade to break into the chamber.
 14. The combination of the apparatus asclaimed in claim 1 with a flexible container containing dye locatedwithin each compartment.
 15. The combination of claim 14, wherein eachcontainer is clamped at its upper side relative to the note tube.